5 Things I Learned About the Wellin

2 Minute Read

Communications and Marketing office student writer Dehler Ingham ’27 is a literature and government concentrator, but he has found plenty of reasons to visit and enjoy the Wellin Museum. Here are five of them.

Whether visiting with a class, walking through with my family, or stopping in on my own, the Wellin Museum of Art offers a lot to Hamilton students, no matter their major.

1. Soak up the history.

I was nearly a history major and the Wellin is full of history — 1,000s of artifacts, from Greek red-figure amphoras to Andean effigies, that cycle through the display cases. Freshman year, I wrote an essay about Assyrian cuneiform tablets for World Art History.

Pieces from the collection of the Wellin Museum of Art line the Archive Hall. — Selections from the collection of the Wellin Museum of Art line the Archive Hall. Photo: Brad Dickson

The Burgess Collection in the Wellin Museum's Archive Hall. Photo: John Bentham

2. Imagine all the stories!

As a literature major, I love a good story. Whether a piece is part of a rotating exhibit or the permanent collection, art is visual storytelling. Sophomore year, I wrote a poem inspired by an exhibit on animals in art. In Intro to Photography, I analyzed a Danny Lyon photograph while researching the story behind its production.

A class explores the Menagerie exhibition at the Wellin. Photo: Janelle Rodriguez

Nadya Bair in the classroom — Assistant Professor of Art History Nadya Bair works with students during her Photography Changes Everything course. Photo: Zack Stanek

3. Ask a docent a question.

Students of all majors work as docents at the Wellin, and they’re great resources for specifics about the exhibitions, visiting artists, or what the job is like.

Docent training with artist Jamea Richmond-Edwards to learn about her exhibition, Another World and Yet the Same. Photo: Janelle Rodriguez

Docent Jun Reiss ’26 leads an educational program at the Wellin. Photo: Janelle Rodriguez

4. Watch the Wellin at work.

If you peer past the object display cases on the first floor’s east wing, you can see Wellin staff at work in the Museum Preparatory Lab, preserving artifacts or preparing works for display.

Students install a mural for artist Joshua Klos's exhibition OUR LABOUR. Photo: Janelle Rodriguez

A docent carefully handles a piece from the Wellin's collection. Photo: Janelle Rodriguez

5. Look up!

The Wellin has a second floor with more art, a lecture hall, and the student lounge — a niche, amazing study spot. See for yourself!

The study niche at the Wellin Museum — The lounge on the second floor. Photo: Zack Stanek

Will Kretz '26 talk with Wellin staff about purchasing an artist's work to be displayed in the Wellin Museum of Art. — Classes and education events are held in the seminar room. Photo: Zack Stanek

See Inside the Wellin Museum of Art

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Posted October 30, 2025

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